UM vets praise freshmen in presser
Players were allowed to speak to reporters after practice and spent much of it talking up the freshmen:
Both De'Veon Smith and Drake Johnson both mentioned Chris Evans as sticking out.
— Josh Henschke (@JoshHenschke) August 17, 2016
Mason Cole also praised Evans, says he really knows his stuff.
— Josh Henschke (@JoshHenschke) August 17, 2016
Drake Johnson, who is roomies with Evans, says he's "mad athletic" and smooth. Makes them say "wow."
— Josh Henschke (@JoshHenschke) August 17, 2016
Evans is going to play, folks.
— Josh Henschke (@JoshHenschke) August 17, 2016
Ty Isaac mentioned Eddie McDoom and Nate Johnson. McDoom can "fly"
— Josh Henschke (@JoshHenschke) August 17, 2016
Magnuson says 'everything is advanced' with Rashan Gary. Says only Peppers impressed him more as a frosh.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) August 17, 2016
De'Veon says he's beyond impressed by Rashan Gary: 'But I'm not about to lose to a teenager (in pass pro)'
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) August 17, 2016
I, for one, am ready to see Chris Evans do Chris Evans things.
August 17th, 2016 at 8:50 PM ^
August 17th, 2016 at 8:43 PM ^
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August 17th, 2016 at 8:57 PM ^
WOW LOOKA THAT SPEED!!! CYA!!!
True freshman.
August 17th, 2016 at 9:10 PM ^
My favorite part of this play isn't even Denard, it's Tae Odoms erasing their nose tackle.
August 17th, 2016 at 9:25 PM ^
We should have a permanent Robinson shoe print in that 35 yardline. Because the acceleration from that step to top speed was Olympic world class stuff.
I was visiting family that day and my jaw is still laying there on the floor of my mother's house. I guess people just step over it.
August 17th, 2016 at 10:20 PM ^
August 18th, 2016 at 12:05 AM ^
August 18th, 2016 at 11:20 AM ^
August 17th, 2016 at 9:29 PM ^
August 18th, 2016 at 12:17 AM ^
August 17th, 2016 at 8:58 PM ^
It's going to be exciting to see this young group of players get experience this year. With how young the team will be next season in general, many of these freshman are going to be in more leader-type roles next year. And if they're already pushing players in front of them, that can only mean positive things to come.
August 17th, 2016 at 9:00 PM ^
but he's going to lose to a teenager in pass pro
August 17th, 2016 at 9:12 PM ^
It'd be Crawford OR N. Johnson...whoever wins that battle.
I'm least confident about Walker - he's just not going to make an impact as a freshman. But he's an early enrollee and that's a tough pill to swallow. I could see him getting Higdon's snaps from last year. His injury or whatever may be a blessing if it holds him out long enough to redshirt him.
McDoom may simply be a returner, gunner on special teams, or an end on XP/FG block - but that's enough to see some early PT.
I think Asiasi and Hudson may end up as the two that make us sick in a couple years.
August 17th, 2016 at 9:33 PM ^
August 18th, 2016 at 2:57 AM ^
They moved him to WDE and he was the most college ready made player of the EEs.
I honestly picked Long over Hill simply because of his size and rating. I have literally nothing else to justify it.
I also think players from further away tend to play more because the coaches want to keep them engaged. Local kids can afford to sit a year and not have the itch to go home or get homesick.
August 18th, 2016 at 7:19 AM ^
I am hoping when they let the defensive players talk to the media, that we will hear more about the freshmen on that side of the ball
August 18th, 2016 at 10:03 AM ^
Our top 3 CBs are excellent, but you need more than 3 CBs in today's game. Brandon Watson and Keith Washington are unproven, so I think at least one of Long/Hill will get playing time as CB4.
August 18th, 2016 at 2:51 PM ^
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August 17th, 2016 at 11:34 PM ^
Lavert Hill...team loses too many DBs next year and is going to have another haul this year so you play him.
August 18th, 2016 at 3:00 AM ^
But he's so damn small, it's honestly wishful thinking on my part.
If he plays, hopefully he PLAYS and they don't burn it for a few meaningless snaps.
If you want to get him real experience...let him go against Chesson and Darboh in practice for 2 weeks. That'll mean more than 20 snaps versus the 2nd and 3rd team of UCF and Hawaii.
August 18th, 2016 at 10:02 AM ^
Onwenu and Bredenson have both reportedly been awesome, but I don't think we play two true freshman OL unless we have major injury problems. Dawson and Kugler are almost certainly the first off the bench on the interior OL, and JBB and Ulizio should be in the mix at tackle. Even Runyan could play, given that he's now up to 304 lbs. Better to have one of those guys as a redshirt senior than get him on the field for a few snaps here and there as a freshman.
August 17th, 2016 at 9:04 PM ^
Repeated mentionings have me excited to see McDoom and Evans now.
Also, FUCK YES DE'VEON!
'But I'm not about to lose to a teenager (in pass pro)'
I love to hear that.
August 17th, 2016 at 9:06 PM ^
lol my favorite quote of the bunch.
I love me some Marshawn Lynch...I mean De'Veon Smith
Can't wait to see BeastMode 2.0
August 17th, 2016 at 9:36 PM ^
Agree ... that quote caught my eye and I liked it ... a lot.
That's the kind of thing Harbaugh must love to see.
I'll bet things get chippy at times as players are going facemask to facemask out there.
Hawaii is going to think a cement truck ran over them.
August 18th, 2016 at 6:58 AM ^
Oh yeah, they can't wait to hit someone else on another team. This is the time of year when things get chippy and fights can break out. You're hitting the same guy over and over again. He make you look bad, you make him look bad. Tension builds. Hawaii if f'd.
That quote from De'veon got me all giddy. A great challenge for both Gary and Smith.
August 17th, 2016 at 10:24 PM ^
Also, I just want to get the ball rolling on Chris Evans = Captain America jokes.
August 17th, 2016 at 9:09 PM ^
August 17th, 2016 at 11:41 PM ^
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August 18th, 2016 at 9:58 AM ^
Not to mention a certain dilithium-powered runner who was listed at 197 lbs during his Michigan career.
August 18th, 2016 at 9:21 AM ^
It was just a tease.
August 17th, 2016 at 9:18 PM ^
Let's hope he can actually push Kalis at that RG spot. It would be nice to have options on the OL that aren't true freshman.
I wonder who's the backup C right now...I assume Kugler, but haven't heard anything about him in a long time.
LT
Newsome
Bredeson
LG
Braden
Dawson
C
Cole
Kugler
RG
Kalis
Dawson
RT
Mags
JBB
...if I had to take a guess today.
August 17th, 2016 at 9:40 PM ^
He may be practicing at Tackle out of neccessity, but he won't be on the two deep there unless it's a must.
Mags actually says JBB is pushing Newsome at left - which would be fine by me. JBB has ALL the tools - he was just so raw. This is the year he should push through, if he's gonna.
August 18th, 2016 at 3:01 AM ^
I agree that his natural position is guard.
But he's been playing LT all fall camp. And he's been playing extremely well there.
August 18th, 2016 at 9:26 AM ^
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August 27th, 2016 at 11:35 AM ^
Came back just to find this post...
August 17th, 2016 at 11:37 PM ^
August 18th, 2016 at 12:07 AM ^
You definitely need a 2 deep for OL because they get hurt ALL the time with people rolling up on their legs. Look at MSU last year, it's not uncommon.
August 18th, 2016 at 1:20 AM ^
August 18th, 2016 at 3:04 AM ^
That's why I have Dawson as the backup for both guard spots.
I could've put Onwenu, Ulizio, Runyan or one of the 2-3 freshman OL that Harbaugh's been gushing about for the past couple of weeks.
I try to add guys who realistically could see the field.
August 17th, 2016 at 9:31 PM ^
August 17th, 2016 at 9:42 PM ^
If you watch his HS film, two things stand out IMO. He is unbelievably SMOOTH. He changes directions effortlessly. Makes it look easy. And he has FANTASTIC hands for a running back. Wide-receiver level hands.
Good to hear that his skills are translating to the Div. 1-A level. If he can make people miss in college at half the rate that he did in high school, he'll be special.
August 17th, 2016 at 10:58 PM ^
Fred Jackson, welcome back!
August 18th, 2016 at 10:28 AM ^
If I was Fred Jackson, I would have said he has the moves of Barry Sanders and the hands of Jerry Rice.
The kid has some really good HS film. I didn't have any personal expectations for him, but given that he is getting a bunch of hype in early leaks, I'd say he's probably the real deal. How real, well we'll see in a few weeks.
August 18th, 2016 at 11:08 AM ^
psssssh jerry rice wishes he had hands like evans
August 17th, 2016 at 9:47 PM ^
Evans is a stud, you say?
The list of matchup nightmares continues to grow.
August 17th, 2016 at 10:16 PM ^
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August 18th, 2016 at 2:43 PM ^
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